Understanding Dynamics in Film Music

Okay, so our next chapter, or the next thing I want to look at, is the dynamics of each piece. Because in film, dynamics are massively important.

The Importance of Dynamics

There are two primary reasons for this:

1. Contrast in Sound: In film music, you can have something that's really quiet, like just one violin, and then all of a sudden, the whole orchestra comes crashing in, or there's a big bang.
2. Emotional Impact: You really need a lot of light and shade in your mixes. Unlike mixing a pop record, which is basically all at the same level and always playing pretty much as loud as possible, film music requires dynamics.

The music plays a crucial role for the director to:

• Shake things up
• Stir certain emotions
• Take you on the roller coaster ride that is watching a film

You can do a lot of riding and really work the dynamics to shape them till they rise. While the players will do them to an extent, there's only so much they can do.

Tips for Mixing Dynamics

• Spend Time on Dynamics: It's essential to spend time getting the dynamics right and riding the faders. You have to listen to what goes on and adjust accordingly.

• Play the Cue While Mixing: When it comes to dynamics, always play the cue while you mix it. Not all the time, of course; get it sounding good, but also make sure to play it with the sync.

• Avoid Conflicts: Ensure that when somebody's speaking or when there's something happening on the soundtrack, the music doesn't clash with it.

Incorporate Music Thoughtfully

• Bring in elements of music when there's space for them.
• When there's no space, just fade them back, shaping it around the sync track, dialogue, and sound effects.

This is quite important because otherwise, they're just going to turn everything down in the dub. They will likely reduce the music volume if it doesn't fit around the other elements.

Final Note

From our perspective, we always want the music to be as loud as possible in the film. So, we need to help the dubbing engineer by shaping our mix around everything else that goes on.

Very, very important, this is a key aspect of mixing for film, so get your head around it!